The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution

by Rollin H. Baker

Myzomela rubrata Oustalet, Le Nat., 1889, p. 260 (Mariannes); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Guam, Saipan); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 69 (Guam); Prowazek, Die deutschen Marianen, 1913, p. 101 (Saipan).

Myzomela rubratra saffordi Wetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 221 (Guam, Saipan); Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, pp. 17, 20, 21, 22 (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan); Kuroda in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 74 (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Pagan, Agrigan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 744 (Guam); Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 395 (Marianas?); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 171 (Marianas); Bryan, Guam Rec., vol. 13, no. 2. 1936, p. 25 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 190 (Guam, Rota, Agiguan, Tinian, Saipan, Almagan, Pagan, Agrigan, Assongsong).

Myzomela rubrata saffordi Yamashina, Tori, 19, 1940, p. 673 (Assongsong, Agiguan).

Myzomela cardinalis saffordi Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 299 (Marianas); Downs, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 49, 1946, p. 103 (Tinian); Borror, Auk, 1947, p. 417 (Agrihan); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 527 (Saipan, Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 72 (Guam, Rota).

Myzomela cardinalis Watson, The Raven, 17, 1946, p. 41 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 540 (Guam); Baker, Condor, 49, 1947, p. 125 (Guam).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam, Rota, Tinian, Agiguan, Saipan, Almagan, Pagan, Agrihan, Asuncion.

Characters.—Adult male: Resembles M. c. rubratra, but smaller with red coloring lighter and more orange; edges of wing and tail feathers olivaceous. Differs from adult males of M. c. dichromata and M. c. major by smaller size and presence of olivaceous edgings on wing and tail feathers.

Adult female: Resembles adult female of M. c. rubratra, but smaller and paler with upper parts dark olivaceous-gray, sparsely mottled with scarlet; outer edges of wing and tail feathers greenish-olive; abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy-gray. Differs from M. c. dichromata by smaller size and presence of scarlet tips of feathers on top of head. Differs from M. c. major by smaller size and presence of broad olivaceous edges on tail feathers.

Immature male: Resembles adult male, but red coloring less brilliant, upper parts, lower breast, and abdomen more narrowly edged with the red coloring; plumage of breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts buffy-gray, lighter in very young birds.